Weft carrier for shuttleless looms

ABSTRACT

An improved weft receiving carrier for shuttleless looms having its hooked weft engaging portion and the combined weft trapping and tensioning member operatively associated therewith disposed on the reed or rearward side of the carrier and an integrally formed guide member for maintaining the hooked portion and combined trapping and tensioning member in a generally horizontal path during insertion of the carrier into the warp sheds.

United States Patent [1 1 1111 3,776,281

Volpe 1 Dec. 4, 1973 -WEFT CARRIER FOR SHUTTLELESS 3,688,807 9/1972 Parolini 139/122 LOOMS [75] Inventor: Richard L. Volpe, Hopedale, Mass. Primary Emmi'lerflenry Jaudon [73] Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation, t Omey John R Bronaugh et a] Pittsburgh, Pa.

[22] Filed: May 24, 1972 ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 256,497 An improved weft receiving carrier for shuttleless looms having its hooked weft engaging portion and the combined weft trapping and tensioning member oper- (g1 atively associated therewim disposed on the reed or [58] Field S R 122 N rearward side of the carrier and an integrally formed 139/127 guide member for maintaining the hooked portion and combined trapping and tensioning member in a gener- [56] References Cited ally horizontal path during insertion of the carrier into the wa sheds.

UNITED STATES PATENTS rp 1/1964 Flarnand 139/122 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures WEFT CARRIER FOR SHUTTLELESS LOOMS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In shuttleless looms which utilize weft yarn that is furnished from an outside source and is not carried to and fro through the shed by the shuttle or carrier itself, it is common practice to insert each pick of weft by two reciprocating elements. That element which introduces the weft into the warp shed is known as the inserting carrier and that which receives or has transferred to it the introduced weft to be drawn through the remainder of the shed is known as the weft receiving or extending carrier. The latter type of carrier is normally provided with a hooked portion and a cooperating thread tensioning means which receive and trap the filling from the companion carrier at a point approximately midway withing the warp shed. The introduced weft yarn is in the form of a loop and the withdrawing of the extending carrier causes said weft to move endwise through the hooked portion and cooperating tensioning means, thereby extending an end of weft which will have been severed to a predetermined length sufficient to complete a give pick.

The type of receiving or extending carriers described above are caused to perform in a manner well known to those familiar with the weaving art, and for a more detailed disclosure of such carriers, it is considered sufficient at this point merely to call attention to certain patents which are illustrative of the type of loom to which the instant invention pertains. Reference is hereby made to the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,705,508; 3,034,539 and 3,298,400.

The weft receiving or extending carriers disclosed in the above mentioned patents are of a well known basic design in which their weft engaging hooked portions and cooperating tensioning means are disposed on the forward sides of said carriers or, in other words those sides which face the fell of the fabric during the performance of their intended function. This form of weft carrier has functioned satisfactorily under proper weaving conditions which include accurate timing and setting of the carrier members as well as full and complete shedding of the warp yarns.

The weaving of the certain types of fabrics, particularly that of high sley such, for example, as poplin or broadcloth, it is not uncommon for some warp threads to knit or in other words to fully cross during harness shedding. A condition of this nature can and has been known to initiate very damaging results to the known extending carriers of the prior art. With the combined trapping and tensioning member being disposed on the forward side of the extending carriers warp threads not fully crossed can divert the carrier a sufficient distance from its intended path of travel to cause a collision with its companion carrier that introduces the weft into the warp shed. Such a collision has been known to bend or displace the combined trapping and tensioning member to the extent where it will tear out a large number of warp threads as the carrier is withdrawn from the shed. With the combined trapping and tensioning member being disposed on the forward'side of the carrier and in relatively close proximity with the fell during its function of extending a loop of weft yarn, there is only a minimum amount of clearance between the upper and lower sheet of warp threads through which to extend said weft yarn. In the event there are any slack warp threads in the upper sheet of warp threads or any warp threads which have knit or not fully crossed, the end of the loop or weft being extended can and has been known to become entangled with such warp threads. Such entanglement will obviously break the weft being extended and result in an imperfection in the woven fabric.

As the extending carrier is being withdrawn from the shed, timing of the shedding function is such that the upper and lower sheets of warp threads are moving so as to close the shed immediately upon withdrawal of the carrier therefrom. During this movement the warp threads of the upper warp sheet are pressing uponthe carrier and if the timing of the shedding function is not precisely accurate, the warp threads of said upper warp sheet have been known to exert sufficient pressure upon the combined trapping and tensioning member of the carrier so as to lessen the tension under which the weft yarn is being extended. Loss of tension on the weft yarn can result in complete loss of said weft from the carrier thus causing a so-called short pick or the accumulation of a length of weft in a given area which in both cases would produce an obvious imperfection in the woven fabric. Additionally a loss of tension on the weft by the extending carrier will result in the woven fabric having a non-uniform overall appearance. Under a condition of this nature, the interlacing of the weft yarn with the warp yarns will produce a different visual effect to the woven fabric in the area where the weft was introduced under tension relative to that area where tension was lessened or lost by the extending carrier.

The improved weft entending carrier according to the present invention has corrected the aforementioned problems that exist with extending carriers of the prior art. With the trend toward greater fabric production by increased operational speed, it has been determined that an extending carrier having improved performance qualities such as are provided by the instant invention will increase substantially the operating efficiency of shuttleless looms to which said invention is applicable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The improved weft extending carrier of the present invention has its weft engaging hook and the combined weft trapping and tensioning member operatively associated with said hook disposed on that side of said carrier which travels adjacent to the looms reed during the performance of its intended function. A guide means in the form of an integrally formed. blade member provides an extension of the flexible tape to which the carrier is attached and is disposed so as to maintain the weft engaging hook and combined trapping and tensioning member of the carrier in its intended horizontal path of travel during its insertion into the shed formed by warp threads.

It is a general object of the invention to improve the general construction and operational characteristics of the weft extending carrier herein described.

A further object of the invention is to provide an extending carrier the component parts of which are disposed so as to prevent a loss or decrease in tension of the weft yarn as it is being extended, and to draw said weft through that portion of the shed which provides the maximum amount of clearance therefor.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a carrier capable of functioning in a manner to prevent harmful and damaging effects thereto in the event of unintentional interference with its companion carrier.

These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent by reference to the appended claims and as the following detailed description proceeds in reference to the figures of drawing wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side view of the carrier according to the invention as seen looking from the back of the loom,

FIG. 2 is a top view of the carrier shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the carrier as seen fromthe front of a loom,

FIG. 4 is a side view of the base portion of the carrier showing the blade member for guiding the carrier in a horizontal path during its insertion into the shed and,

FIG. 5 is a side view of the upper portion of the carrier which is adapted to be secured to the base portion shown in FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Now referring to the figures of drawing, flexible carriers or tapes are used to reciprocate the thread carrying members themselves which are caused to enter the shed and to be withdrawn therefrom. The tapes are projected into the shed to a point approximately adjacent to the center thereof at which. the weft extending carrier meets the inserting carrier to transfer the weft yarn to be drawn through the remainder of the shed.

Attached by some suitable means to the tape 10 is a weft receiving or extending carrier generally indicated by numeral 1 1 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3). This carrier as shown in FIG. 4 includes a base portion 12 having fixed to its rearward side a blade member 13 which serves to maintain said carriers in a horizontal path of travel as it enters the shed. The lower edge 14 of the blade member is disposed in the same plane as the lower surface of the tape 10. To prevent interference with the warp threads as the carrier is projected into and withdrawn from the shed, the ends of the blade member are tapered as indicated by numerals 15 and 16; The lower surface of the base portion 12 includes a recessed planar surface 17 (FIG. 4) that provides a means for positioning said base portion on the tape 10 where it is fixed by any suitable means such as brazing or the like.

The upper surface of the base portion 12 is provided with a centrally disposed and longitudinally extending groove 18 which is adapted to receive therein a tongue 19 (FIG. 5) that depends from the trailing underside of a hooked member or carrier body portion identified generally by numeral 20. The carrier body portion 20 is fixed to the base portion 12 in the same manner as the means for attaching said base portion to the tape 10.

The carrier body portion 20 includes a forward vertically disposed planar surface 21 which at its leading end or that end opposite its attachment to the base portion 12, terminates in the form of a point 22. The vertically disposed planar surface 21 is provided with a substantially flat laterally extending top surface 23 (FIG. 2). From a point approximately midway of the body portions length to its trailing end, the combination of the planar surface 21 and top surface 23 has a cross sectioned configuration which is substantially rectangular except for the tongue 19 which depends from and j extends for a portion of the body portions length on the lower surface thereof. This section of the carriers body portion 20 defines a web-like section 24 having a I vertically disposed rearward surface 25 (FIG. 2) that extends at an angle slightly oblique to the planar surface 21 of said body portion. One end of a combined trapping and tensioning member 26 is adapted to assemble on the rearward surface 25 of the web-like section 24 by means of two machine screws 27 and 28 which pass through apertures provided in said web-like section 24 and then through aligned openings in said combined trapping and tensioning member 26 where they then have their threaded ends assembled in aligned threaded holes of an anchor plate 29.

The trailing end 30 of the carrier 11 (FIG. 2) is tapered in such a manner as to blend with the tape 10 to which it is attached and the end of said tape adjacent its point of attachment to the carrier is also tapered so as to conform dimensionally with said trailing end 30. That portion of the carrier extending from the web-like section 24 to its leading end is of a generally L shaped configuration which is formed by the reduced thickness of the top surface 23 in this area. The top surface 23 at and adjacent the leading end of the carrier extends rearwardly and is provided on the rearward side thereof with a downwardly directed flat surface 31 (FIGS. 1 and 2) from which a lower surface 32 extends forwardly to the vertically disposed planar surface 21. A weft receiving notch 33 is formed below the top surface 23 and as part of the lower surface 32. These surfaces all blend with a curved leading inclined surface 34 and point 22 forming a weft engaging tip.

As shown in FIG. 2 that portion of the top surface 23, intermediate the leading end of the carrier and its weblike section 24 is of reduced width as at 35 and permits the combined trapping and tensioning member 26 by means of its attachment to said web-like section to be spring biased into frictional contact with the flat surface 31 disposed on the rearward side of and adjacent said carriers leading end. That end of the combined trapping andtensioning member 26 in frictional contact with the flat surface 31 is provided on the lower side thereof with a laterally extending lip 36 which is directed in a forwardly direction so as to underlie a portion of the lower surface 32 (FIG. 2) and serves to direct the weft yarn into the weft receiving notch 33 during transfer from the inserting carrier. This laterally extending lip 36 also serves to retain the weft under tension between the flat surface 31 and that portion of the combined trapping and tensioning member 26 in contact therewith when the extending carrier reverses its direction of travel to extend an inserted loop of weft through the remainder of the shed.

A rib member 37 is formed on the top surface 23 and as shown in FIG. 2 extends in longitudinal direction for a portion of the carriers length and is then directed obliquely rearwardly and terminates on said top surface adjacent to the flat surface 31. This rib member 37 provides added rigidity to the carriers body portion 20 and additionally serves to prevent unintentional contact of a closing upper warp sheet with the combined trapping and tensioning member 26.

To summarize the operation the carrier enters the warp shed and is maintained in a true horizontal path during its insertion by its integrally formed blade member 13. When the carriers meet at the weft transfer point within the shed the leading inclined surface 34 of the extending carrier engages the loop of weft introduced by the inserting carrier. The weft is caused to slide rearwardly along the inclined surface 34 and to enter between the flat surface 31 and that portion of the combined trapping and tensioning member 26 in frictional contact therewith. As the extending carrier reverses its direction of travel the weft is caught by the receiving notch 33 and as said weft is extended it is held under a desired amount of tension as it moves between the flat surface 31 and the combined trapping and tensioning member 26. With the weft being held in this manner and free end thereof which was released in a known manner at the inserting side of the loom is extended through the shed in the area immediately adjacent to the reed. By being extended in this area the possibility of the weft becomming entangled with slack or not fully crossed warp yarns is reduced to a minimum due to the angular position of the upper and lower warp sheets which provide greater clearence adjacent to the reed relative to where they meet at the fell of the fabric. Additionally the possibility of losing or lessening the tension under which the weft is extended has been eliminated by providing an extending carrier with its combined trapping and tensioning member disposed so as to avoid contact with the upper sheet of warp threads during the movement to close the shed.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be restored to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the preview and scope of the inven tion and the appended claims.

1 claim;

1. For a loom having reciprocable carriers by which weft yam from a stationary source of supply is inserted by opposed flexible tapes within sheds formed by warp threads, a weft receiving carrier for receiving a loop of weft from a companion carrier adapted to insert that loop part way through the warp shed and for extending an end from said weft loop across the remainder of the shed, said weft receiving carrier comprising a hooked member with a combined trapping and tensioning member mounted for operative cooperation therewith, guide means having an integrally formed blade member with a lower edge defining an extension of a tape member and disposed so as to extend in spaced and generally parallel with said trapping and tensioning member for maintaining the latter and said hooked member in a generally horizontal plane during their insertion into the warp shed, a raised rib member integrally formed on the upper side of said hooked member for preventing contact of the warp threads with said combined trapping and tensioning member, said hooked member having a vertical rearward surface, a lower horizontal surface extending forwardly therefrom, a weft engaging hook formed as part of said vertical and lower surfaces, said trapping and tensioning member having an end in spring contact with said vertical rearward surface, said hooked member including a curved leading edge and a generally downward and forwardly directed inclined surface contiguous therewith. 

1. For a loom having reciprocable carriers by which weft yarn from a stationary source of supply is inserted by opposed flexible tapes within sheds formed by warp threads, a weft receiving carrier for receiving a loop of weft from a companion carrier adapted to insert that loop part way through the warp shed and for extending an end from said weft loop across the remainder of the shed, said weft receiving carrier comprising a hooked member with a combined trapping and tensioning member mounted for operative cooperation therewith, guide means having an integrally formed blade member with a lower edge defining an extension of a tape member and disposed so as to extend in spaced and generally parallel with said trapping and tensioning member for maintaining the latter and said hooked member in a generally horizontal plane during their insertion into the warp shed, a raised rib member integrally formed on the upper side of said hooked member for preventing contact of the warp threads with said combined trapping and tensioning member, said hooked member having a vertical rearward surface, a lower horizontal surface extending forwardly therefrom, a weft engaging hook formed as part of said vertical and lower surfaces, said trapping and tensioning member having an end in spring contact with said vertical rearward surface, said hooked member including a curved leading edge and a generally downward and forwardly directed inclined surface contiguous therewith. 